Understanding The Traffic Sign Recognition System

A key part of being able to diagnose a problem with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is understanding how the system works. Knowing what is happening inside the system will help you properly diagnose why the system may be failing. This will prevent replacing parts that are not causing the system issue. Let’s take a look at the inner workings of a traffic sign recognition system.

The traffic sign recognition system "sees" road signs and then displays them to the driver of the vehicle. They are typically displayed on a screen located in the instrument cluster. This system usually uses a forward-facing camera located behind the windshield that "looks" for road signs. Some vehicles use a dedicated forward-facing camera for this system, while others use the same ADAS camera used for lane departure warning and other systems.

Some vehicles have a haptic (vibration) or audible warning that is activated when the driver, for example, is not following the posted speed limit, or is entering a "do not enter" roadway. The system may save recognized signs to "memory" after displaying them, so that same sign is more easily identified the next time. It is important to look at vehicle-specific OEM service information to make sure you know what components are part of this system, and what is needed to repair the system correctly.

Understanding how the system functions can shorten diagnostic times. Knowing what part of the system to test will help prevent installing parts that don’t actually fix the problem.

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